Necktie sewing machine



NECKTI E SEWING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March '51, 1966 INVENTORS Max M Ne wm/v BY l/ICJOI? N Neww-w M. M. NEWMAN ETAL 339L664 NECKTIE SEWING MACHINE July 9, 1968 Filed March 31, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 9 3 S on @r l- INVENTORS MAX #7- Name y Menu 1? Mwm/v I WW United States Patent Olfice 3,391,664 Patentedl July 9, 1968 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A necktie sewing machine having a series of opposed fabric crimping elements each comprising a slotted round projection and an aligned slotted cup-like recess to receive the projection. This forms, in a lengthwise folded fabric, a series of undulations extending along the length of the free edges of the folded fabric and also forms folds transverse to the undulations along a single line that the edge portions of the folded layers of fabric are to be sewn so as to resist any lateral movement of the fabric layers while the needle passes through the slots and through the undulations and folds. The machine also has a series of spaced, flexible, thin fingers extending across and below the line of sewing to define the lengthwise folded line of the folded fabric. The crimping elements at one end of the machine are arranged with open spaces therebetween through which the end of the fabric may be diverted from the path of the needle.

This invention relates to necktie sewing machines. Those skilled in the art are familiar with necktie sewing machines in which the folded necktie fabric is crimped along its superposed longitudinal edge portions and a needle then passes longitudinally through the crimped assembly, forming a slip stitch for example. Usually, the necktie fabric is assembled with a strip of lining material, the whole being crimped by a series of mating crimping elements which may be slotted for the passage of the needle. It is common for the sewing to be effected with the assembly of fabrics and lining so positioned that it must be turned inside-out to produce the finished tie. Examples of necktie sewing machines of these types are illustrated in my United States Patents 2,608,170 and 2,781,010. The drawings of the latter patent show machines in which the needle moves through the crimped assembled fabrics, while the crimping elements and fabrics are held stationary. In other machines known in the art, the needle is held stationary while the crirnped fabric and crimping elements move. Arrangements in which the assembled fabrics need not be turned inside-out, e.g. in which the fabric is folded so that even the upper crimping elements operate under at least one layer of the necktie fabric, are also known.

It is an object of this invention to provide a new, im-

. proved and more effective necktie sewing machine.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a novel efiicient necktie sewing machine of simple and economical construction.

This invention comprises, among other features, improved means for crimping, improved means for facilitating the positioning of the fabric and the folding thereof, and improved provisions for defining the overall length of the sewn line.

The improvements described herein, although of gencral utility in tie making machines, are especially useful in the type of machine in which the assembly of fabric and lining is held stationary between the crimping elements While the needle is driven therethrough and in which the sewn assembly is turned inside out to make thefinished tie. Such a preferred construction is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the device in open position.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view, in elevation, taken along the line 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a plan view, like that of FIG. 1, showing a strip of tie-lining material placed in the device.

FIG. 4 is another similar plan view, with the device still in open position, showing the strip of lining material overlaid with the necktie fabric, the resulting assembly being held in position by a set of prongs.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 55 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a plan View showing the device in closed position.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken lengthwise of the necktie assembly, along the line 77 of FIG. 6, and showing the sewing needle.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a projection or tooth for holding the necktie assembly in place during the sewing.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a mating depression adapted to receive the projection or tooth of FIG. '8.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a portion of a set of prongs.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along a line transverse to the path of the needle, through one of the projections, with the device in closed position.

Like the device described in my United States Patent 2,781,010, the machine illustrated in the drawings uses an elongated needle 11 (to the left of FIG. 1) which may be made of resilient steel to enable it to travel a somewhat bent path and is sufficiently sturdy to be driven through such a path without buckling. Like the device of Patent 2,781,010, my machine also includes a needle driving mechanism 12 (which may be of the type described in my U.S. Patent 2,522,582) and a means for folding an assembly of a lining strip L and a necktie fabric F and for crimping the folded assembly along the path of the needle, so that when the needle is driven by its mechanism 12 the fabric and lining strip will be stitched together in the desired manner.

In the preferred form of the device shown in the drawings, there are a pair of platforms 13 and 14 suitably joined in relatively movable relationship, preferably by means of hinges 16. One platform 13 is normally stationary and the other 14 is movable so that after the lining strip L and the necktie fabric F have been placed on the platforms, the movable platform 14 may be swung (by the use of a handle 17) from the open position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 to the closed position illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7, thus folding the necktie fabric and positioning the necktie assembly for the sewing operation. Suitable means are provided to lock the platforms together in closed position, before the needle is driven. In the illustrated embodiment, locking is effected by the engagement of a screw 18 (FIGS. 4 and 5) (which is pivoted at 19 to the stationary platform and carries a clamping nut 21) in the recess 22 of a lug 23 fixed to the movable platform.

The platforms 13 and 14 carry a series of mating fabric-crimping elements to corrugate or crimp the necktie assembly in a controlled manner (as illustrated in FIG. 7) so that, as previously indicated, the elements of the necktie assembly will be sewn together when the long needle 11 is driven through the corrugations. Preferably, these crimping elements are such as to form a series of dimples in the assembly, and comprise a series of projections or teeth 24- (see also FIG. 8) and a corresponding series of recesses or depressions 26 (see also FIG.'9) for receiving the teeth. The projections 24 are preferably roughly in the form of spherical sectors, slotted, at 27, to receive and guide the needle 11. The depressions 26 are cup-like, preferably round, and may be frusto-conical, each being preferably of such diameter and depth as to receive substantially the entire corresponding projection 24. The projections 24 may, if desired, be formed of the slotted heads of machine screws or bolts suitably fastened to the platform 13; the depressions 26 may be formed easily by a suitable countersinking tool. To permit passage of the needle and to guide the latter, there are slots at 28 between the depressions; these slots 28 and the slots 27 in the projections are in alignment and form a guideway for the needle, when the device is in closed position as shown in FIG. 7. Preferably, as in the illustrated embodiment, all the projections are mounted on the stationary platform 13. As shown in FIG. 11, the arrangement of projections and depressions also effects a positive folding of the fabric layers, near the sewing line defined by the slots 27, 28, in a direction transverse to the small alternating folds shown in FIG. 7 so that lateral movement of the fabric is resisted. In FIG. 11 it will be seen that the fabric is positively bulged over the sewing line, having reverse folds on opposite sides of that line.

The crimping arrangement of this invention gives better results than those of the prior art. For example, while the tooth arrangement shown in Patent 2,781,010 gives better results than that of Patent 2,608,170, there is still a tendency for the silk necktie fabric (cut on the bias as is conventional in the art) to form an occasional fold with the needle groove, causing the needle to pass over, rather than through, the fabric so that a stitch is skipped. This defect is avoided or reduced by the use of the mating projections and cup-like recesses; best results have thus far been obtained when the cup-like recesses have substantially circular rims and the projections have corresponding substantially circular cross-sections. The arrangement appears to spread the fabric and fix or maintain the direction of the fabric bias in the crirnped portions and reduces local distortion of that direction so that the bias does not run into the groove; it makes for correct seating of the fabric in the crimped condition, reducing wrinkling.

The fabric crimping elements are advantageously arranged so as to effectuate the sewing in the desired curved path, and to accommodate different sizes of tires. To this end, each platform preferably comprises three mounting plates 31, 32 and 33, and 35, 36 and 37, each carrying a number of the crimping elements and each adjustably fixed (as by clamping screws 38 fitted in slots 39 in each plate) to the corresponding body 41 or 42 of the platform. The crimping elements on plates 31 and 35 are adapted to engage that portion of the necktie assembly which will form the wider, front end of the necktie; the crimping elements on plates 32 and 36 are adapted to engage the portion which will form the neckband; while the elements on plates 33 and 37 are adapted to engage the portion which will form the narrower, rear end of the necktie. On each of the latter plates (33 and 37) there is also formed a series of intermeshing teeth 43 and 44, each having a needleguiding slot 46 or 47. To facilitate the'use .of the device for the production of neckties of various lengths or the use of various lengths of stitching, there are open spaces 48, 49 between these teeth to permit the lining material L or the necktie fabric F, or both, to be displaced from the path of movement of the needle 11 at any one of a number of points, through a selected space (or selected spaces) 48, 49 (as shown at the right end of FIG. 7). A spring clip or prong 50 may be provided to press the free portion of the lining against the base of the platform to keep the lining in place better.

The platforms 13 and 14 are preferably faced with rubher or other suitable high friction material at 51, 52 and 53, to help prevent slippage of the fabrics when the mo able platform is swung to closed position to fold the necktie fabric. Such facing may be of the type illustrated in my United States Patent 2,781,010. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, the rubber facing 51 is a sheet partially overlying the 4 plates 31, 32, 33 and screwed, at 53a, to the platform 13.

To retain the assembly of the necktie fabric and lining strip in place during the folding of the necktie fabric and to give accurate folding, there are provided a series of blade-like flexible prongs or fingers 54, preferably made of spring steel or similar resilient material. These are preferably movably mounted (as on a bar 56 hinged at 57 to stationary platform 13) so that they can be brought from an inactive position (FIGS. 1 and 2) to an active position (FIGS. 4 and 5) overlying the stationary platform 14, in which active position the tips 58 of the prongs 54 extend substantially to the axis 59 of the hinges 16 joining the platform. In the illustrated embodiment the prongs are clamped to the bar 56 by pressure exerted by flat clamping strips 61 joined to the bar by screws 62 whose shanks pass through elongated slots 63 of the bar; this arrangement permits adjustment of the positions and lengths of the prongs. For use with wider ties, the effective lengths of the prongs are increased, by loosening the screw 62 and moving the prongs so that their free tips 58 are further from the bar 56, and vice versa. As will be explained in more detail below, these prongs remain in place during the sewing operation.

A series of shorter, springy, blade-like prongs 64 is also fixed to the movable platform 14 (bein attached thereto by a prong-supporting bar 66 screwed to said platform) to retain the necktie fabric at the teeth 44.

The device also includes a set of teeth 67 and 63 (FIGS. 1 and 7) for retaining the lining strip in position and for providing a small stitch in the lining strip which is not formed in the fabric (which stitch, as stated in my earlier United States Patent 2,781,010 serves to stabilize the position of the lining while giving it freedom of movement in the sewn tie). Teeth 67 are mounted, in alignment with crimping elements 24, adjacent the needle 11, on a stationary horizontal bar '69 while teeth 68 are mounted on a movable bar 71 (hinged at 72 to the horizontal bar 69) in a position to move into overlying relationship to the teeth 67. Both the teeth 67 and the teeth 68 are slotted, to provide a passageway for movement of the needle 11 during the sewing operation.

In the operation of the device, the lining strip L (which is generally made of a rather heavy square-woven cotton fabric cut on the bias, e.g. at 45 as indicated at 73 in FIG. 3) is first placed on the stationary platform over the crimping elements of the latter with the wide end of the lining strip over the teeth 67; the narrow end of the lining strip is slipped through one of the spaces 43, the choice of the particular space depending on length of the necktie and length of stitching desired. One end of the lining is held firmly against the lower side of the plate 33 by a spring clip 50 (see lower right of FIG. 7). The bar 71 is then swung over to grip the wide end of the lining strip between its teeth 68 and the teeth 67. The parts are now in the position shown in FIG. 3.

The necktie fabric F (which is usually also cut on the bias, as inticated at 74 in FIG. 4, and is usually of a thinner, smoother material woven of finer threads than the lining material), is then placed over the lining strip, about half of the fabric F being over the stationary platform 13 and the other half over the movable platform 14 and the prongs 54 are swung down onto the fabric, preferably resting thereon merely under their own weight and the weight of the bar 56 and associated clamping elements. At the narrow end of the necktie fabric one or more of the resilient prongs 64 are snapped over the necktie fabric and the fabric is slipped through a space 48 and 49, the choice of the particular spaces depending (as previously indicated) on the length of the neckties and the length of stitching desired. The parts are now in the position shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.

The movable platform 14 is next swung over the stationary platform 13, manually or by suitable mechanism, and locked into closed position (as by rotation of clamping nut 21' During this movement, the necktie fabric becomes folded (near the hinge line of the platforms) along the line defined by the tips 58 of the prongs. I have found that even without the use of any impaling pins for holding the fabric on the platforms, the device folds the fabric smoothly and accurately. As the assembly becomes crimped between the projections 24 and the recesses 26, the flexible prongs 54 take up positions between the projections 24. The parts are now in the position shown in FIGS. 6, 7 and 11.

The threaded needle is then driven through the assembly to the position indicated in dotted lines to the right of FIG. 7, the thread carried by the needle is grasped or otherwise retained, and the needle is returned to its retracted position. In the illustrated preferred construction, the needle enters the assembled fabrics adjacent the wide end of the tie; this gives more accurate control of the stitching at the most important portion of the tie, namely, the end which appears as its front face when the tie is knotted.

In one embodiment, the prongs or fingers 54 are made of smooth spring steel, are about /8 inch in width, and about inch in thickness, and on order of 5 inches in length and spaced about 2 inches (on centers); the projections 24 have a diameter of about /2 inch and a height of about inch; the recesses 26 have a diameter of about inch, a depth of about A inch and their walls are tapered at the angle shown in the drawing; the spacing (on centers) between projections 24 is about A to 1 inch and the spacing between recesses 26 is the same, and the width of the needle-guiding slots 27 and 28 is about A to A2 inch. The spacings between successive projections (and mating recesses) are preferably somewhat uneven so as to give an effect of hand stitching. As seen in FIG. 7, the crimping elements are constructed and arranged so that the amplitude of the crimps is greater than the height of the slot by a distance at least as large as the total thickness of the assembly of two layers of necktie fabric F, lining fabric L, and prongs 54. The prongs do not interfere with the passage of the needle and preferably remain substantially immobilized during said passage.

It is to be understood that the foregoing detailed description is given merely by way of illustration and that variations may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a necktie sewing machine having means for supporting a plurality of fabric layers to be sewn together along a single line to form the necktie and including a series of opposed fabric-crimping elements to crimp said plurality of fabric layers therebetween, forming a series of small undulations in the assembled layers along the single line the fabric layers are to be sewn together, said machine providing a guideway for the passage of a needle along said guideway and through said series of undulations to sew said layers together along said single line in a single direction, the improvement which comprises means for positively folding said fabric layers, near said line, in a direction transverse to said undulations so as to resist lateral movement of the fabric of said layers, said fabric crimping elements including a series of projections, each having opposite sides for engaging the fabric to form one of said undulations and each having at least one other side, against which said fabric layers are positively folded in said transverse direction, and means for pressing said fabric against said other side of each of said projections of said series so as to resist lateral movement.

2. A machine as in claim 1 in which said means for positively folding said fabric layers near said line in a transverse direction includes means for positively folding the assembled fabric layers on both sides of said line.

3. A machine as in claim 2 in which said fabric crimping elements and said means for positively folding include a plurality of cup-like recesses for receiving said projections.

4. A machine as in claim 3 in which said projections and recesses are substantially round, said passageway being formed of aligned slots in said projections and aligned slots in the walls of said recesses.

5. A machine as in claim 1 and including said needle and means for effecting relative movement of said needle and said crimped layers.

6. A machine as in claim 5, and including means for driving said needle through said guideway while said crimped layers are held stationary.

7. In a necktie making machine in which a necktie fabric is folded lengthwise along a fold line to bring its long edges into proximity and said fabric is then sewn longitudinally adjacent said edges, along a line remote from the fold line, to make the necktie, said machine having a pair of opposable platforms adapted to be moved into opposed relationship with longitudinally folded necktie fabric layers between them prior to said sewing and having a series of opposed fabric-crimping elements to crimp said fabric layers therebetween, form ing a series of small undulations in the assembled layers along the line the fabric layers are to be sewn together said machine providing a guideway for the passage of a needle along said guideway and through said series of undulations to sew said layers together, the improvement which comprises a series of spaced flexible thin fingers mounted to extend across the sewing line with their free ends defining said fold line and to rest against a layer of the necktie fabric on one of said platforms while said platforms are moved into said opposed longitudinal folding and crimping relationship, said fingers being sufficiently thin as to be non-interfering with the relative movement of said needle with respect to said fabrics during said sewing.

8. A machine as in claim 7 in which said guideway provides a generally curved path for the needle and said free ends of said fingers define a straight fold line.

9. A machine as in claim7 in which the spacing between said fingcrs is considerably greater than the spacing between adjacent fabric crimping elements.

1d. A machine as in claim 7 in which said platforms are hinged together, at a hinge line, said fabric being folded longitudinally at or near the hinge line of said platforms and at one side of each platform, and said crimping elements are situated on the platforms along lines remote from said hinge lines.

iii. A machine as in claim 10 in which one of said platforms is stationary and the other of said platforms is movable, said fingers are blade-like, resilient elements pivotally mounted on said stationary platform only, for movement from an inactive position to an active position overlying said stationary platform, said platforms having fabric-contacting portions faced with rubber to frictionally engage the fabric and prevent its slippage.

12. A machine as in claim 7 in which said crimping elements are constructed and arranged so that the amplitude of said crimp is greater than the dimension of the guideway in the direction of said amplitude, said amplitude being greater than said dimension by a distance at least as large as the thickness of said fabric layers plus the thickness of said fingers.

13. A machine as set forth in claim 12 in which said crimping elements include a series of mating substantially round projections and cup-like recesses, said passageway being formed of aligned slots in said projections and aligned slots in the walls of said recesses, said fingers have a resilience like that of spring steel, and said platforms have fabric-contacting portions faced with material adapt d to frictionally engage the fabric and prevent its slippage.

14. A machine as set forth in claim 13 and in which the interfitting crimping elements adapted to engage an end of the tie are constructed and arranged with open spaces therebetween of such size that said end of the tie can be diverted through one of said spaces whereby although the ncedle passes along the guideway in all said 7 crimping elements said needle will not pass through the diverted portion of the tie.

15. A machine as in claim 7 and including said needle and means for effecting relative movement of said needle and said crimped layers.

16. A machine as in claim and including means for driving said needle through said guideway while said crimped layers are held stationary.

17. In a necktie making machine in which a necktie fabric is folded lengthwise to bring its long edges into proximity and said fabric is then sewn longitudinally adjacent said edges to make the necktie, said machine having a pair of opposable platforms adapted to be moved into opposed relationship with longitudinally folded necktie fabric layers between them prior to said sewing and having a series of opposed fabric-crimping elements to crimp said fabric layers therebetween, forming a series of small undulations in the assembled layers along the line the fabric layers are to be sewn together, said machine providing a guideway for the passage of a needle along said guideway and through said series of undulations to sew said layers of necktie fabric and a strip of lining together, said machine having means, at one end of the path of the needle, for receiving and crimping an end of said lining strip alone whereby passage of said needle sews a stitch in the lining strip alone at one end of the tie, the improvement in which the interfitting crimping elements at the other end of the path of the needle are constructed and arranged with open spaces therebetween of such size that said end of the tie can be diverted through one of said spaces whereby although the needle passes along the guideway in all said crimping elements said needle will not pass through the diverted portion of the tie.

18. In a necktie making machine in which a necktie fabric is folded lengthwise to bring its long edges into proximity and said fabric is then sewn longitudinally adjacent said edges to make the necktie, said machine having a pair of opposable platforms adapted to be moved into opposed relationship with longitudinally folded necktie fabric layers being them prior to said sewing and having a series of opposed fabric-crimping elements to crimp said fabric layers therebetween, forming a series of small undulations in the assembled layers along the line the fabric layers are to be sewn together, said machine providing a guideway for the passage of a needle along said guideway and through said series of undulations to sew said layers together, the improvement in which the interfitting crimping elements at an end of a platform are con- &

structed and arranged with open spaces therebetween of such size that said end of the tie can be diverted through one of said spaces whereby although the needle passes along the guideway in all said crimping elements said needle will not pass through the diverted portion of the tie, said machine having a series of springy fingers each mounted for holding the undiverted portion, at said end of the tie, on one of said spaced crimping elements.

19. In a necktie making machine in which a necktie fabric is folded lengthwise to bring its long edges into proximity and said fabric is then sewn longitudinally adjacent said edges to make the necktie, said machine having a pair of opposable platforms adapted to be moved into opposed relationship with longitudinally folded necktie fabric layers between them prior to said sewing and having a series of opposed fabric-crimpin g elements to crimp said fabric layers therebetween, forming a series of small undulations in the assembled layers along the line the fabric layers are to be sewn together, said machine providing a guideway for the passage of a needle along said guideway and through said series of undulations to sew said layers together, the improvement in which the interfitting crimping elements at an end of a platform are constructed and arranged with open spaces therebetween of such size that said end of the tie can be diverted through one of said spaces whereby although the needle passes along the guideway in all said crimping elements said needle will not pass through the diverted portion of the tie, said spaces being situated between the crimping elements on both sides of the tie whereby the main fabric of the necktie can be diverted through a space at one side of the tie and the lining of the necktie can be diverted through a space at the opposite side of the tie, said openspaced crimping elements being situated at the end of platforms where the crimping elements are adapted to engage narrower end of the tie.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,379,733 7/1945 Maiek l12--174 2,608,170 8/1952 Newman 112-174 2,781,010 2/1957 Newman 112-174 FOREIGN PATENTS 241,872 10/ 1925 Great Britain.

RICHARD J. SCANLAN, JR., Primary Examiner. 

